Ezekiel | Kristi's Morning Devotional

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022

Showers of Blessing

I slept so well last night and when I woke, later than usual, this morning I asked the Lord what I could share.

Gratitude, praise, thanksgiving – those were the words that came to mind.

We have had rain nearly every day for almost 6 weeks. That’s summer in the mountains! When our campers come, they always comment on how green the mountains and the meadows are. Even now, I look out my window and see a camper who has come to look across a meadow, as the morning fog is rising and take in the beauty of the beginning of the day.

Oh, there are some who want to complain about the afternoon showers and “it would be nice to have ONE day without any rain” but those are also the same ones who complain when we have fire restrictions in place because the forest and meadows are too dry.

It’s better to sing in the rain than grumble in a tent!

“I will bless the sheep and the places around my hill. I will cause the rains to fall at the right time and will shower them with blessings. ²⁷And the trees growing in the field will produce their fruit. The earth will give its harvest, so the sheep will be safe on their land. I will break the yokes on them and save them from the power of the people who made them slaves. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 24:26-27 ERV

Shower them with blessings!

Look around you right now. What blessings do you see? Quickly, pick five and thank God for them. He is the One who brings the blessings.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Ultimately it is the Father who gave you the favor you needed to secure your job. He is the one who blessed you with wisdom and creative ideas. You may have gone to the store and purchased a new item or even the house you live in, but it is gift of the Father’s provision.

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. ¹²Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiahs 29:11-13 ERV

The Father has planned for us to have hope and a good future. When we ask, He listens, when we search, we find. Knowing that fills my heart with gratitude!

Instead of grumbling about the rain, let’s go out and dance as the showers of blessing fall all around us!

July 25, 2022July 25, 2022

Rainy Day Attitudes

Yesterday I mentioned that we were experiencing some rain during the night and as I talked with campers later in the day, I was surprised by the different attitudes that were conveyed.

Although we have had rain each day for the last couple of weeks, a night rain has been uncommon. In the daylight, kids go out and play in the rain, splash in the puddles and folks can sit under their canopies and play cards and drink hot cocoa. There’s an enjoyment to it.

But a night rain in the campground can bring a different emotion.

How long will it last? You can’t see the sky – there’s no playing outside because it’s dark. It’s unanticipated, unexpected. It either brings a sense of adventure or a sense of dread especially for the tent campers.

Most of the campers I spoke with welcomed the rain. A few even said that the sound of the rain on their tents was soothing. They weren’t going to let a little loss of sleep keep them from enjoying the days they had left of their camping trip.

But some got grumpy and were packing up to head home, a day or two early. They were tired of the rain. “We’re going home, even if it is 110”.

Attitude.

We each have the opportunity to control our attitudes or have them control us. Do we let the unexpected cancel or thwart our plans or do we move forward with a sense of adventure?

This morning I wanted to find a Scripture to encourage you with when you are facing the unexpected rain showers of life. I know I’ve read these verses before but this morning they seemed to have a deeper sense of meaning.

“Skies, listen and I will speak. Earth, hear the words of my mouth. ²My teachings will come like the rain, like a mist falling to the ground, like a gentle rain on the soft grass, like rain on the green plants. ³Praise God as I speak the Lord’s name! ⁴“The Lord is the Rock, and his work is perfect! Yes, all his ways are right! God is true and faithful. He is good and honest.” Deuteronomy 32:1-4 ERV

Moses spoke these words to the Israelites shortly before his death. He had been through many experiences of God’s faithfulness as he led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. There had been good times and great challenges, times of victory and times of rebellion. But God had always been faithful to His word.

At the end of his life, his commitment had not changed. His attitude was established, undeterred. He praised the Lord for His perfect work, for His ways always being right, for being true, faithful, honest and good.

Moses said that the teachings the Lord had him record should fall on their lives like rain – rain that would nourish and cause them to grow, grow in their relationship with the Lord.

A heart attitude of gratitude.

“…I will cause the rains to fall at the right time and will shower them with blessings.” Ezekiel 34:26 ERV

Don’t let the showers of life anger you or make you grumpy. Let them cause you to grow. They will be showers of blessing.

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019

Rest!

Do you remember being little and having your Mom tell you to take a nap? It was torture. The thought of having to lay down, close your eyes and rest. Fast forward sixty plus years; please, please, please will someone make me go to my room and rest!!

Our bodies need rest. They aren’t made to continually operate at full speed. Rest is an overlooked necessity to our good health. Overstimulation brings stress factors; anxiety, short temper, fatigue, forgetfulness, rudeness, worry, overeating, heart problems, poor digestion and so much more.

God gave us a gift – He gave us the seventh day. He set the example from the very beginning. After all He created He rested and enjoyed the fruit of His labor.

“By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested. ³God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.” Genesis 2:2-3 CEV

It wasn’t until hundreds of years later that the Lord gave Moses the Ten Commandments and made resting on the seventh day an established sign of obedience.

“Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. ⁹You have six days when you can do your work, ¹⁰but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. ¹¹In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That’s why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.” Exodus 20:8-11 CEV

God gave us a day of rest for our well being but also as a reminder to give Him pre-eminence in our lives. All of the commandments that God has given are for our best – don’t lie, murder, steal, commit adultery, etc and so is keeping the Sabbath or a day of rest. All the other nations worked every day, there was no rest. Resting was a sign to them that the Israelites were a people who had a promise of provision from the Lord. They didn’t need to work themselves to death; they were trusting God.

“I reminded them that I was the Lord their God and that they should obey my laws and teachings. ²⁰I told them to respect my Sabbath to show that they were my people and that I was the Lord their God.” Ezekiel 20:19-20 CEV

Let’s not miss out on this wonderful gift of rest that God has provided for us. Let’s place of our trust in Him that He will help us get enough done in the six days to rest on the seventh. After all, we should be following His example.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NLT